Help Keep Your Energy Bills Down With The Right Attic Insulation

It is a proven fact that an attic with poor insulations can cost you a large amount of money. As a matter of fact, the US Department of Energy does estimate that insulating your attic can save you anything between 10 to 15 percent of the total amount of money you spend in keeping your house warm. Here are some valuable attic insulation tips worth taking into consideration when shopping, they include but are not limited to the following:

The first thing you should take into consideration is the form you want the installation to take. This will determine how well you can fill a particular space. This has a direct impact on how well you will be able to keep heat from leaking in and out of the home. It is also important to take into consideration the material used to make the insulation: this has a direct effect on factors such as fire resistance, weight and cost.

The second thing worth taking into consideration is the type of insulation you want to install: there are basically four main types of attic insulation. These include blankets, fiberglass, Rockwool and loose fill. All these attic insulation options are ideal for a variety of purposes.

It is also important to consider whether during the installation, you intend to do it yourself or whether you will be calling in a professional. This will to a large extent dictate the type of insulation you would use. Blanket insulations are the preferred option for homeowners who are keen on doing the installation on their own, while the loose fill is mostly done by professionals because it does require specialized equipment to blow in the insulation.

Another important factor you need to take into consideration is the R-Values of the material you have chosen. It refers to how efficient the insulation is at resisting heat flow. Many homeowners use the R-value to determine the efficiency of the chosen insulation. The higher the R-value, the more efficient the insulation is. For walls, homeowners should opt for an R – value of 11 to 23, for ceilings an R-Value of 19 to 50 is preferred while for floors an R-value of 11 to 25 is usually considered ideal enough. It is worth noting that these numbers tend to vary depending on the geographical location of the home and the weather patterns.

Finally, even though it may seem counter-intuitive, it is also important to consider the ventilation around the attic. Without proper ventilation in the attic, moisture will accumulate and condense and eventually rotting the ventilation and subsequently compromising the structural integrity of the insulation. It is also important in neutralizing the threat posed by ice dams.